The Kansas City Chiefs are taking a deep look at the 2025 running back class ahead of the spring NFL Draft, and their latest visit comes with an impressive body of work after three seasons as a starter for multiple schools.
The Chiefs are using one of their top 30 official pre-draft visits with running back Damien Martinez, per NFL reporter Ryan Fowler.
Martinez, who weighs in as a bigger back at 6'0 and 217 pounds, played for the Miami Hurricanes in 2024 after putting up two solid seasons at Oregon State in 2022-23. Last season, Martinez had 159 carries for 1,002 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. This came on the heels of a career-high 1,185 yards in '23, and he was only 18 yards away from rushing for 1,000 at OSU in '22 (982).
Damien Martinez would give the Chiefs a bigger back to improve the backfield for the short-term and long-term.
Martinez has averaged 6,1, 6.1, and 6.3 yards per carry over each of the last three seasons, giving him some very consistent tape for NFL scouts despite transferring and adjusting to a new system for the Hurricanes. He was named honorable All-ACC for the '24 season.
Despite having such an extensive amount of experience entering the National Football League, Martinez is still only 21 years old and will remain that way through the entire 2025 season. That sort of youth mixed with proven production should be a major draw for interested teams.
As a receiver, Martinez has a more limited scope given that he only had 32 total catches across three seasons. Last year, he had 20 catches for 204 yards in Miami.
As for the Chiefs' perceived interest, Martinez should be available in the later rounds of the draft given the depth of this season's draft class. The Chiefs have Isiah Pacheco returning for his final season, with Elijah Mitchell and Kareem Hunt both returning as one-year free-agent signings. That means the Chiefs should be investing for the future at the position to give themselves more talent as well as long-term security.